What are Low Carbohydrate diets and are they safe?
There has been a lot of discussion of low carb diets. While it is obvious that they do work, some diet experts claim that the weight loss is only temporary or that there are health risks involved with low-carbing. There have been several new studies done recently that show that a lowcarb way of life is a healthy way of life.
These diets are not just a quick weight loss plan. They are designed to be a new way of eating for life. Yo-yo dieting is unhealthy and ineffective so taking a long term approach is essential for success. As far as claims that the diet causes kidney damage, calcium loss, high cholesterol etc, these claims are based on a misunderstanding of the low carb diet. There is no factual evidence that low carb dieting causes any of the problems cited.
There are so many low carbohydrate diets - which is best?
This is largely a matter of personal choice. Some of the diets allow more freedom than others. Some stress what you eat while others feel that the combination of foods eaten or the time of day they are eaten is the key to success. Read the books about the various diets and then select the one that best fits your lifestyle. Many people switch between diets perhaps starting with the discipline of the Atkins diet and then switching to Protein Power as they near their goal, for example. The one thing all the low carb diets do agree on is this: sugar and processed carbohydrates are not good for optimum health.When sugars or carbohydrates are eaten, the body breaks them down into fat to use for fuel. The body does this by releasing insulin (a hormone). When the body has more fuel than it needs, it stores the remaining fat and causes a weight gain. Sugar, refined flour, and caffeine cause a spike in the insulin levels and should be avoided.